Hungary FM: MOL to Boost Oil Product Exports to Serbia from December

Serbia can count on Hungary to help secure its energy supply: beginning in December, Hungarian energy company MOL will increase its deliveries of crude oil and oil products to Serbia by a factor of 2.5, assisting the neighboring country as it faces serious challenges, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced Wednesday in Belgrade.

Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook)

FM Szijjarto stressed Hungary will use all available means in order to contribute to guaranteeing the neighboring country's supply of crude oil. He noted that MOL is prepared to further increase shipments to Serbia.

In November, MOL doubled its deliveries to Serbia. In December, those volumes will rise again — by the end of the year, MOL will be delivering two and a half times its previous volume of crude oil and oil products,

he said.

He stressed that the October fire at MOL’s refinery in Szazhalombatta does not affect these plans.

MOL is operating on every available channel (...) Shipments to Serbia continue by road, rail, and river.

He confirmed that the first rail shipment has already been completed and a second is now being prepared, with continuous transport underway via the Danube as well. “I presented proposals to the minister regarding what steps the Serbian government could take to make MOL’s operations even more flexible, predictable, and efficient,” he added.

FM Szijjarto said one clear lesson from recent events is the urgent need to block Brussels’ initiatives that would shut down key energy-transport corridors — proposals that, as he noted, are already causing major challenges.

Another crucial takeaway, he said, is that Hungary and Serbia must rapidly move forward with the construction of a direct oil pipeline between the two countries. Structural adjustments necessary for the project have already been discussed.

We are ready to make the decisions in the coming days that will significantly accelerate construction of the Hungary–Serbia oil pipeline,

he confirmed.

FM Szijjarto also recalled that similar skepticism surrounded the Hungary–Serbia natural gas pipeline years ago: “Everyone mocked us, the so-called experts dismissed us, saying we didn’t know what we were doing — that the pipeline wasn’t needed and would sit empty.”

And yes, for years it was basically empty. But had we not built it, Slovakia today would have no way to secure its natural gas. Ukraine shut off transit, and Slovakia now receives its gas via Serbia and Hungary,

he pointed out.

“Now we’re hearing the same arguments — that the new pipeline isn’t necessary. But it must be built. This situation clearly shows that energy-transport infrastructure is a strategic issue. The more pipelines we have, the more developed our network is, the less vulnerable we become,” he stressed.

Turning to EU energy policy, Szijjarto sharply criticized the REPowerEU plan aimed at phasing out Russian energy imports, saying "Brussels is taking a giant hammer to Europe’s energy security.”

He warned, 

Brussels’ push would leave Hungary dependent on a single oil pipeline instead of two — a scenario that would make the country dangerously exposed. 

Serbia's case, he stressed, is a clear example of what such vulnerability could lead to.

“MOL is increasing shipments to ensure Serbia avoids fuel shortages. And we will do everything politically and legally possible to prevent Brussels’ REPowerEU monstrosity from shutting down additional supply routes. At the same time, we are preparing the construction of the Hungary–Serbia oil pipeline,” Szijjarto concluded.

Cover photo: Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook)